Editing Donald Campbell (section)

==Death==
[[File:Donald Campbell's memorial plaque.jpg|thumb|Memorial plaque for Donald Campbell, in Coniston village]]
On 4 January 1967,<ref name=spkdicr>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6DhWAAAAIBAJ&pg=5871%2C1363609 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Speed king dies in crash |date=5 January 1967 |page=13}}</ref> weather conditions were finally suitable for an attempt. Campbell commenced the first run of his last record attempt at just after 8:45&nbsp;am. ''Bluebird'' moved slowly out towards the middle of the lake, where she paused briefly as Campbell lined her up. With a deafening blast of power, Campbell now applied full throttle and ''Bluebird'' began to surge forward. Clouds of spray issued from the jet-pipe, water poured over the rear spar and after a few hundred yards, at {{convert|70|mph|0}}, ''Bluebird'' unstuck from the surface and rocketed off towards the southern end of the lake, producing her characteristic comet's tail of spray. She entered the measured kilometre at 8:46&nbsp;am. Leo Villa witnessed her passing the first marker buoy at about {{Convert|285|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in perfect steady planing trim, her nose slightly down, still accelerating. 7.525 seconds later, Keith Harrison saw her leave the measured kilometre at a speed of over {{Convert|310|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.

The average speed for the first run was {{Convert|297.6|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. Campbell lifted his foot from the throttle about 3/10 of a second before passing the southern kilometre marker. As ''Bluebird'' left the measured kilometre, Keith Harrison and Eric Shaw in a course boat at the southern end of the measured kilometre both noticed that she was very light around the bows, riding on her front stabilising fins. Her planing trim was no worse than she had exhibited when equipped with the Beryl engine, but it was markedly different from that observed by Leo Villa at the northern end of the kilometre, when she was under full acceleration. Campbell had made his usual commentary throughout the run.

Campbell's words on his first run were, via radio intercom:
{{Blockquote | style=font-size: 100%; | text="...&nbsp;I'm under way, all systems normal; brake swept up, er&nbsp;... air pressure warning light on&nbsp;... I'm coming onto track now and er&nbsp;... I'll open up just as soon as I am heading down the lake, er doesn't look too smooth from here, doesn't matter, here we go&nbsp;... Here we go&nbsp;... [pause 3 seconds]&nbsp;... Passing through four&nbsp;... five coming up&nbsp;... a lot of water, nose beginning to lift, water all over the front of the engine again&nbsp;... and the nose is up&nbsp;... low pressure fuel warning light&nbsp;... going left&nbsp;... OK we're up and away&nbsp;... and passing through er&nbsp;... tramping very hard at 150&nbsp;... very hard indeed&nbsp;... FULL POWER&nbsp;... Passing through 2&nbsp;... 25 out of the way&nbsp;... tramping like hell Leo, I don't think I can get over the top, but I'll try, FULL HOUSE&nbsp;... and I can't see where I am&nbsp;... FULL HOUSE – FULL HOUSE – FULL HOUSE&nbsp;... POWER OFF NOW!&nbsp;... I'M THROUGH!&nbsp;... power&nbsp;... (garbled) er passing through 25 vector off Peel Island&nbsp;... passing through 2&nbsp;... I'm lighting like mad&nbsp;... brake gone down&nbsp;... er&nbsp;... engine lighting up now&nbsp;... relighting&nbsp;... passing Peel Island&nbsp;... relight made normal&nbsp;... and now&nbsp;... down at Brown Howe&nbsp;... passing through 100&nbsp;... er&nbsp;... nose hasn't dropped yet&nbsp;... nose down."<ref name="Sheppard 2011 256">{{Cite book|last=Sheppard|first=Neil|title=Donald Campbell Bluebird and the Final Record Attempt|year=2011|publisher=The History Press|location=Stroud, UK|isbn=978-0-7524-5973-8|pages=256|url=http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk|access-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604233426/https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/|archive-date=4 June 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

Instead of refuelling and waiting for the wash of this run to subside, Campbell decided to make the return run immediately. This was not an unprecedented diversion from normal practice, as Campbell had used the advantage presented; i.e., no encroachment of water disturbances on the measured kilometre by the quick turnaround in many previous runs. The second run was even faster once severe tramping subsided on the run-up from Peel Island (caused by the water-brake disturbance). Once smooth water was reached some {{convert|700|m|yd|0}} or so from the start of the kilometre, K7 demonstrated cycles of [[ground effect (aerodynamics)|ground effect]] hovering before accelerating hard at 0.63 g to a peak speed of {{Convert|328|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} some 200 metres or so from the southern marker buoy. ''Bluebird'' was now experiencing bouncing episodes of the starboard sponson with increasing ferocity.

At the peak speed, the most intense and long-lasting bounce precipitated a severe decelerating episode — {{convert|328|mph|0}} to {{convert|296|mph|0}}, -1.86g — as ''K7'' dropped back onto the water. Engine flame-out then occurred and, shorn of thrust nose-down momentum, K7 experienced a gliding episode in strong ground effect with increasing angle-of-attack, before completely leaving the water at her static stability pitch-up limit of 5.2°. ''Bluebird'' then executed an almost complete backflip (~ 320° and slightly off-axis) before plunging into the water (port sponson marginally in advance of the starboard), approximately 230 metres from the end of the measured kilometre. The boat then cartwheeled across the water before coming to rest. The impact killed Campbell instantly and broke ''K7'' forward of the air intakes (where Campbell was sitting), and the main hull sank shortly afterwards.

[[Mr Whoppit]], Campbell's teddy bear mascot, was found among the floating debris and the pilot's helmet was recovered. Royal Navy divers made efforts to find and recover the body but, although the wreck of ''K7'' was found, they called off the search, after two weeks, without locating his body. Campbell's body was finally located in 2001.

Campbell's last words, during a 31-second transmission, on his final run were, via radio intercom:

{{Blockquote | style=font-size: 100%; | text="...&nbsp;Full nose up&nbsp;... Pitching a bit down here&nbsp;... coming through our own wash&nbsp;... er getting straightened up now on track&nbsp;... rather closer to Peel Island&nbsp;... and we're tramping like mad&nbsp;... and er&nbsp;... FULL POWER&nbsp;... er tramping like hell OVER. I can't see much and the water's very bad indeed&nbsp;... I'm galloping over the top&nbsp;... and she's giving a hell of a bloody row in here&nbsp;... I can't see anything&nbsp;... I've got the bows out&nbsp;... I'm going&nbsp;... U-hh&nbsp;..."<ref name="Sheppard 2011 256" /><ref>{{Cite web | work=BBC News | title=Last words from Bluebird | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2560957.stm | date=10 December 2002 | access-date=31 December 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206112328/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2560957.stm | archive-date=6 December 2008 | url-status=live }}</ref>}}

The cause of the crash has been variously attributed to several possible causes (or a combination of these causes):
* Campbell did not wait to refuel after doing a first run of {{Convert|297.6|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} and hence the boat was lighter and travelled through the wash caused by his first run, a wash made much worse by the use of the water brake. These factors have since been found to be not particularly important:<ref name=sheppard>Sheppard, Neil (2011). Donald Campbell Bluebird And The Final Record Attempt. Stroud, UK: The History Press. {{ISBN|978 0 7524 5973 8}}</ref> The water brake was used well to the south of the measured distance, and only from approx. {{Convert|200|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. The area in the centre of the course where ''Bluebird'' was travelling at peak speed on her return run was flat calm, and not disturbed by the wash from the first run, which had not had time to be reflected back on the course. Campbell knew this and, as discussed previously, adopted his well-practised, "quick turn-around" strategy.
* ''Bluebird'' may have exceeded its aerodynamic static stability limit, complicated by the additional destabilising influences of loss of engine thrust. There is also evidence to point to the fact that K7's dynamic stability limit had been exceeded. The cause(s) of the engine flame-out cannot be established unequivocally. It could have been due to fuel starvation, damage to some ancillary structural element associated with engine function (following the worst bouncing episode), disturbance of the airstream into the intakes during the pitching episodes, or indeed a combination of all three. Further evidence of lost engine thrust may be seen in both cinematographic and still film recordings of the latter part of the run&nbsp;— as ''Bluebird'' left the water, jet exhaust from a functioning engine would have severely disturbed the water surface; no such disturbance or accompanying spray is evident. Also, close examination of such records show no evidence to the effect that the water brake was deployed.<ref name=sheppard />
* Analysis of film footage suggests that ''Bluebird'' may have hit a duck during test runs, which may have affected the aerodynamic shape of the boat, making it harder to control at extreme speeds.<ref name="Gray">{{Cite web | work=The Telegraph | title=Duck may have played role in fatal Bluebird crash | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8815900/Duck-may-have-played-role-in-fatal-Bluebird-crash.html | first=Richard | last=Gray | date=9 October 2011 | access-date=8 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308221620/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8815900/Duck-may-have-played-role-in-fatal-Bluebird-crash.html | archive-date=8 March 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref>

On 28 January 1967, Campbell was posthumously awarded the [[Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct]] "for courage and determination in attacking the world water speed record."<ref name="brave" />